The Wandering Disciple

The international flights stack the gates at the south terminal at Miami International Airport.  MIA is the 26th busiest airport in the world and averages about a thousand flights a day.  The airport operations was featured on a reality TV show called Airport 24/7 which aired on the Travel Channel for three seasons.  (Photo: April 23, 2010)

A learjet departs Tampa International Airport with Raymond James Stadium in the background. Located west of downtown Tampa, TPA services over 16 million passengers a year making it the 31st busiest airport in the country. (Photo: July 27, 2013)

Englewood, Florida: Buchan Airport (X36) is a grass-strip public airfield located just outside downtown Olde Englewood. The air strip is the highlight of the Buchan Airport Community Park operated by Sarasota County Parks & Rec.  Buchan Airport features a lone runway. Runway 12/30 is a 2,040 grass runway marked my white tires. There are no lights nor tower operations at the airport. Buchan Airport is home to a few single engine and experimental aircraft. They also host an annual fly-in breakfast and is a popular spot for flying groups get-togethers. 2012 Buchan-Dearborn Aviation Day The fly-in breakfast is held annually in October. Pilots of various types of aircraft fly into Buchan Airport for a breakfast and conversation. While the pilots are eating and networking, their aircraft are available to view.  The only drawback to spotting at Buchan Airport is the lack of reliable air traffic. Chance of observing air traffic increases on weekends, even...

Fort Myers, Florida: Just east of I-75 in Fort Myers is the gateway to Southwest Florida. Southwest Florida International Airport is a modern airport that welcomes over 7 ½ million travelers through its gates on a yearly basis. The airport accommodates over 200 flights a day through the United States, Canada, Demark and Germany. The airport was designed by the Lee County Port Authority to help alleviate the traffic to nearby Page Field. Ground was broken on the new Regional Southwest Airport in 1980. The airport was completed in 1983 with Delta Air Lines operating the inaugural flight. The airport was later renamed to the current name of Southwest Florida International Airport in 1993. By the end of the 1980’s, the airport had exceeded its designed capacity and needed to expand. The answer was the Midfield Terminal Complex. Completed in 2006, it allowed the airport to expand to 28 gates located amongst three concourses with the option to expand to 65 gates in the future. ...

Punta Gorda, Florida: Located in Eastern Charlotte County, the Charlotte County Airport is the gateway to Charlotte County. The hometown airport is home primarily home to general aviation traffic but has seen a steady increase in commercial traffic over the past few years. The airport operates three active runways. Runway 4/22 is the longest runway on the property and is used as the primary runway for commercial traffic. Runway 15/33 is the primary runway for general aviation. Runway 9/27 is the shortest runway at the airport. These three runways saw 74,854 flights in 2010 according to an FAA report. The airport began its life in the 1940’s as the Punta Gorda Army Air Field. The base was home to a fleet of P-40 Warhawks, P-51 Mustangs and C-45 and C-47 transports. The base was a training center for combat field ops during World War II. During the height of its war efforts, over 1,000 soldiers were assigned to the base. When the war was over, the military decommissioned the ba...

Miami, Florida: One of the busiest ports in the world, the Port of Miami is home to both passenger and cargo ships. Over 4 million cruise passengers and 7.5 million tons of cargo pass through the port each year. Mother Nature helped to create the port in the early 1900’s. A hurricane hit south Florida and separated the southern end of Miami leading to what is today the port. The newly created channel now known as the Government Cut was then dredged and the leftover soil became Dodge, Lummus and Sam’s Island which is now the site of the present day Port of Miami. As the business at the port began to pick up, the port needed to be expanded. The city government passed legislation to expand the port by land filling the three islands into one and increasing the overall size of the island. Today the port contains eight passenger terminals as well as an extensive collection of cargo equipment. It is also the headquarters for some of the cruise lines including Royal Caribbean. Future ...

Nassau, Bahamas: With its close proximity to the United States, Nassau has become a major port of call on many cruise itineraries. These cruise ships depend upon the deep waters of Prince George Wharf to bring thousand of passengers into the city daily. The port is capable of serving up to six cruise ships at one time. The harbor was also recently dredged to allow access to the largest passenger vessel, Oasis of the Seas. The port is located in the heart of historic Nassau and within a short drive or water taxi from Paradise Island. As passengers arrive at the port and head towards the city, they enter through Festival Place. The brightly colored Festival Place welcomes the visitors to the culture of the city and features shopping, dining, information and transportation at one spot. After passing through the Festival Place, travelers exit into the city and begin the journey. Many of the major cruise lines offer a Bahama itinerary that calls on Nassau as their main port of call....